1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sintered alloy having excellent wear and heat resistance and suitable for use as a starting material for a member of a valve mechanism of an internal combustion engine, such as a valve guide.
2. Description of Pertinent Information
Various sintered alloys superior to ingot materials such as ordinary cast iron and cast ferroalloy with respect to wear resistance, machinability and cost and useful as materials for valve guides of internal combustion engines have been developed. The assignees of this application previously developed a sintered alloy comprising an iron matrix containing Cr, Mn and Mo in which free graphite and a steadite phase are dispersed (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 177435/1983) and put them into practical use.
However, after the development of said material, a material having a higher wear resistance at a high temperature was demanded since automobile engines having a higher capacity are desired generally and conventional alloys are often unsatisfactory.